Taylor ends Terras cup dream
By Matt Pitman

Tuesday 15th November 2005

GARETH Taylor returned to Weymouth after 13 years to end his former club's FA Cup fairytale.

The Nottingham Forest striker was given his footballing break by the Terras during a loan spell from Bristol Rovers in 1992.

The lanky teenager, then a central defender, went on to enjoy a glittering career in which he was sold for over £2 million in transfer fees.

Taylor eventually wound up at the Coca-Cola League One giants and last night struck twice at a packed Wessex Stadium to scotch any hopes of a first round replay giantkilling.

His decisive second half goals broke the hearts of the brave hosts in front of a capacity Radipole Lane crowd and thousands more watching live on Sky Sports.

One man extremely grateful to the exTerra was relieved Forest boss Gary Megson whose position would have been in severe doubt with defeat on the south coast.

Taylor's hammer-blow was cruel on Weymouth who, like at the City Ground nine days earlier, gave everything they had.

But in the end it was a couple of defensive errors that cost them a second round clash at Chester City next month.

After a run of 13 games unbeaten and hopes high of an upset, defeat was hard for boss Garry Hill and his plucky
players to take.

But following their heroics against the double European Cup winners earlier this month, the Conference South outfit have nothing to be ashamed about.

Hill can be proud of his players and his,challenge is now to ensure his side earn promotion come the end of the season.

It could all have been so different last night had Chukki Eribenne's low drive, which was turned on to the post, gone in just before the break.

Or if the home defenders had not switched off and allowed Nicky Southall to cross for Taylor to sweep home Forest's first on 66 minutes.

As expected, Hill kept faith with the eleven heroes who were earned that spectacular 1-1 draw at the City Ground.

Things started frantically as Weymouth looked dangerous down the flanks through Steve Clark, Lee Elam and the excellent Steve Tully.

Forest were reliant on dominant centre halves Danny Cullip, Ian Breckin and Wes Morgan and took a while to settle.

The visitors had a great opportunity to take the lead on 16 minutes when striker David Johnson put his close range header wide from Southall's pinpoint corner.

Moments later Taylor's flick-on caused confusion but Morgan's header lacked direction.

But with the hosts snapping away at Forest, the Terras continued to keep the visitors at bay.

Going forward, the non-Leaguers were dangerous and signalled their intent from a couple of Shaun Wilkinson set-pieces and Elam runs.

Tully, who gave a sterling effort in both defence and attack, needed treatment after suffering a nasty blow to the
head when landing awkwardly midway through the opening half.

Taylor gave a, sign of what was to come when his hanging header was saved by Weymouth keeper Jason Matthews.

Then came the moment that Eribenne will probably replay in his head time and time again.

Speedy Clark sprinted away from Ross Gardner down. the right to set up the powerful striker on the edge of the area.

Eribenne turned superbly before thumping his shot goalwards, only for Forest keeper Paul Gerrard to get his fmgertips on to it and push the ball against the base of the post.

That agonising moment left more than 6,000 home fans cursing their luck, and the visitors made the most of their good fortune after the interval.

A male streaker, wearing only a rubber ring, halted play at the start of the second half before he was swiftly whisked away by police.

The unscheduled break seemed to upset the hosts' rhythm and once play resumed Forest, whose substitute John Thompson made a big difference, started to take command.

Taylor's diving header from Morgan's cross flashed just wide, while at the other end Eribenne snatched at a chance created by Elam.

Megson replaced ineffective striker Johnson with Jack Lester on the hour as the hosts enjoyed a purple patch.

But for all their pressure, visiting keeper Gerrard barely got his knees dirty on a cold November night.

Then, virtually out of nothing, came the fIrst of Taylor's killer-blows.

James Perch's ball down the right flank caught the Weymouth defence napping, from which Southall broke free to cross for an unmarked Taylor, who had all the time in the world to steer home.

Hill replaced Wilkinson with Brian Dutton, who had scored in successive league games, in the hope of getting
back into the tie.
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Elam nearly conjured up an equaliser moments after the restart when his cross-cum-shot from the right flank caused Gerrard to parry away from under his bar.

But a swift Forest counter on 72 minutes, again down the right, saw them finally end the challenge of the hardworking non-Leaguers.

Some decent build-up play ended with Southall feeding Perch whose slide-rule cross was side-footed home by Taylor from six yards.

The visitors second knocked the stuffing out of the Terras who began to show the effects of four games in nine days.

Changes were made as Darren Wheeler and Tony Taggart came on for Clark and head-injury victim Jackson.

Confident Forest continued with a spring in their step and could have made it three when Gardner burst through only to be denied by Bound's last-ditch challenge.

Weymouth just could not fmd a way back and the final whistle signalled the close of one the most exciting chapters in the club's history.

Despite the defeat, nearly all the capacity crowd stayed to honour the Terras during a well-deserved lap of honour in which Hill's heroes may well have been pondering what might have been.